Dry ice car



ec. 31, 1940. w. F. DIETRICHSON DRY ICE CAR Filed Feb. 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l w ww l U .H WL .H1 iimi+ 3+? LIKF 'PW ec, 31, 1940. w. F. DIETRICHSON DRY ICE CAR Filed Feb. 17; 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY INVENTOR William Fflz'eiricsm BY I D O O 0 O O O O 0 O O O Dec. 31, 1940. w; F TR H ON 2,226,699

' DRY ICE CAR Filed Feb. 17, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 .w.. lllll 4 I I w mm mm H A??? 7 T N A 1 AW A1,!!! 1? II De 31, 1940. D N 2,226,699

DRY ICE CAR Filed Feb. 17, 19:57 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTO R w uu tmk ATTORNEY I 10 effect of the material. In the ordinary form of end walls are flanged inwardly at their upper 10 PatentedDec.3l, 1940 2,226,699

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 I 1 2,226,899 5 Q if I DRY ICE CAR 2 William F. Dietrichson, BerwickQPa assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New

York, N. Y.', a corporation of New Jersey Application February 17, 1937, Serial No. 126,112

11 Claims. (Cl. 62- -91.5)

This invention relates to car construction in Mounted upon the center sills, side sills and general and in particular to cars built especially cross members is a wood or other type of floor for transport of'solid carbon dioxide. l forming a support upon which the improved Due to the extremely low temperature of solid gas tight compartments may be mounted. carbon dioxide or dry ice difliculty has been The gas tight'compartment as clearly shown encountered to properly insulate the dry ice. The Figures 4 and 5 consists of a metallic box-like low temperature causes rapid condensation and member having floor plate l2, side walls l4 and the insulation gradually becomes saturated with 'end walls I6 which are securely joined to each moisture thus greatly reducing the insulating other at all seams by welding; The side and dry ice car it has been almost impossible to edges as at l8 to provide a supporting ledge. prevent leakage of the heavy gas evolved from This compartment is of a width slightly less the dry ice, which gasescaping from the car than the overall width of the car underframe carries considerable heat with it, and even though and is placed on the floor prior to the attachthe car has been made relatively gas tight it ment of the car sides and ends to the under- '15 gradually develops openings due to shocks susframe;

tained in transit. It is an object, therefore, of The car sides are preferably formed of Z-bar the invention to provide a dry ice car in which stakes 2!] having the lower portion extending gas tight cells are provided. vertically, while the upper portion is inclined in- A further object of the invention is the prowardly as at 22 in order that proper clearances-'20 vision of a car having gas tight cells located may be obtained. The metal sheets 24 are attherein independent of the car framing. tached to the vertical portions of the stakes form- A still further object of the invention is the ing a complete lower wall from end to end of provision of a dry ice car of gas tight constructhe car,- while sheets 26 are attached to .the intion wherein the insulating material maybe readclined portions of alternate stakles thus pro- 25 ily removed for reconditioning by driving out any viding openings which may be closed by sliding moisture therein. doors 28 adapted to roll on tracks 30. The top Another object of the invention is the proedges of'the stakes are secured to the vertically vision of a heavily insulated compartment in disposed.- web of Z-bar plate 32 which has the which'the insulation is protected from moisture lower flange 34 directed inwardly providing a'30 absorption of a gas tight casing. support for a traveling crane member 36. The

These and other objects of the invention will upper flange of the plate is directed outwardly be apparent to persons skilled in the art from and provides a support to which the horizontal a study of the following description and acweb of the roof Z-bar 38 may be secured. The

companying drawings, in which: a roof is of any approved construction and is 35 Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of apformed with a downwardly directed edge flange proximately one-half a railway car showing the 40 adapted to be secured to the vertically diimproved dry ice carrying members; rectedfiange of the roof Z-bar 38. It is thus seen Fig. 2 is a side view of one end of the car with that the sides may be fabricated in one piece and 40 a portion broken away to show the relative posiapplied to the car underframe by merely driving 40 tion of the ice carrying compartment; rivets through the side stakes and side sills after Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken subwhich the preformed roof may be lowered into tantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; position and secured by riveting or otherwise se- Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the gas tight comcuring the roof Z-bar to the outwardly directed partment, and flange of the plate. 2

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing To prepare each gas tight compartment for the insulation arrangement within the compart-' the carrying of dry ice it is insulated on the ment and the manner in which the compartment sides, ends and bottom by means of slabs 42 -is sealed at'the top. of any'suitable insulating material of progres- Referring now to the drawings in detail it is sively varying sizes thus insuring the staggering 50 seen that the car is of generally standard diof joints at all the corners as is clearly shown mensions and mounted on the customary trucks in the drawings. These slabs of insulating maby means of center bearing 2. The car underterial are merely placed in position with each frame is of conventional design having spaced layer retaining the preceding layer in position 5 center sills 4,'side sills 6 and cross members 8. without the use of any securing means in order;

such as presswood:

that the slabs may be easily removed without injury, if necessary, to recondition or replace. The upper layer of floor insulation is formed in two parts and slightly under cut at the adja- 5 cent edges in order that a suitable bearing member 44 of presswood or other suitable material may be used to distribute the load imposed thereon by means of partition 46, which is preferably formed of some strong yet light material The inner layer of insulation on the sides and end walls of the compartment is dovetailedor otherwise secured at the upper edge to a wood protecting strip 48 to which in turn are secured the upper edges of presswood side and end liners 50 whichprevent any injury of the insulation. A- piece of presswood 52 is likewise placed on the floor of the compartment and supports ametallic pan 54' which will assist in distributing the load to the floor insulation, while at the same time providing a water tight basin protecting the insulation. The dry ice compartments thus formed are preferably, lined and protected against moisture by the application of canvas or otherrelatively flexible material 56 preferably securedin position by applications of white lead or some similar material, which upon hardening will form a water tight membrane. In order to complete the dry ice container and provide a support for the lids a framework of wood or other material 58 is pro- .vided which may be secured by screws or other means to the wood strip 48 and to the wood strip Bllpositioned beneath the flange l8-of the gastight compartment. This frame is provided with a strip 62 secured to the upper edge of the partition thus forming two complete bins in each gas tight compartment. In order to substantially seal each bin against heat and gas losses a heavily insulated lid or cover 64 is pro-v ;vided having sealing gaskets 66 adapted to rest upon the compartment framing. These lids are preferably provided with links 68 which may be placed over the ends of a lifting bar 10 carried by a differential hoist secured to traveling 'crane member 36. It is thus seen that the lids which weigh approximately four hundred pounds -may be lifted directly without in any way'strainingthe framework or disturbing-the insulation of the compartments as would occur if hinges or counter-balancing springs were used.

It is thus seen fromthe preceding'description that a construction has been provided wherein the possibility of moisture entering the'insula tion has been reduced to. a minimum, while. if

moisture does enter the construction may be readily dismantled with a minimum amount of labor and the parts reconditioned for use. In reconditioning the compartment it is only necessary to remove the upper framework and lift out the liner with its presswood backing,after which the individual slabs of insulating material may be removed and dried for re-use, The compartments as previously mentioned are entirely free of the car structure and since they are formed in short lengths are not subject to damage that might arise from deflections of the car framing.

While the invention has-been described in more or less detail and special'reference made to certain insulating materials, it is, of course, obvious 70 that changes-in construction and in choice of 'insulating material may be made and all such changes are contemplated'asfall within the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, side opening doors arranged above the imperforate lower portion, and a plurality of gas tight compartments substantially filling the lower portion of the car 5 below said doors, said compartments being structurally independent of the adjacent car parts to permit deflection of the latter without damage to the compartments.

2; A railway car or similar vehicle for the 10 transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, side opening doors arranged above the imperforate lower portion, a plurality of gas tight compartments substantially filling the lower portion of the car 15 below the doors, and slabs of insulating material removably stacked against the floor and side walls of each compartment to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top.

3. A- railway car or similar vehicle for the 20 transport. of solid carbon dioxide having a subthe doors, and slabs of insulating, material removablystacked against the floor and side walls of each compartment to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top, said bin being sealed by a bodily removable cover. 30

t. A railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid-carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, sliding side doors above the lower portion, a plurality of gas tight compartments substantially filling the lower 35 portion of the car below the doors, slabs of insulating materialremovably stacked against the floor and side walls of each compartment to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top, and a substantially impervious means lining 40 said bin to prevent the entrance into the insulation of moisture or carbon dioxide gas, said imperviousmeans being capable of movement relative-tosaid side walls and floor of the compartment.

5. A railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, high level side. opening doors above the lower portion, a plurality of gas tight compartments substantially 50 filling the lower portion of the car below the doors, insulation: removably stacked against the floor and side walls of each compartment to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top, a substantially impervious flexible means lin- 55 ing said bin, and a framework protectingthe upper'edge of the insulation, said framework and impervious means substantially sealing said insulation against ingress of moisture or carbon dioxide'gas, 60

6. A railway car or similar vehicle. for the transport of solid carbon dioxidehaving ,a substantially imperforate lower portion, high level side opening doors having their lower marginal edges terminating above the imperforate lower 35 portion, a plurality of independent gas tight compartments substantially filling thelower portion of the car below said doors, each of said compartments being freely mounted in andnon-rigidly connected with the car structure whereby 70 they'aret substantially undisturbedby normal car structure distortions developed during transit.

'7. A railway car. or similar Vehicle for the transport of. solidcarbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, a plurality 75 of independent gas tight containers substantially filling the lower portion of the car below said doors, independent slabs of insulating material removably stacked in each container against the floor and side walls thereof to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top, each of said containers being free of the car structure whereby said container and insulation will be substantially undisturbed by distortions of the car structure, and side opening doors arranged above said containers.

8. A railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, a plurality of independent gas tight containers substantially filling the lower portion of the car below said doors, slabs of insulating material removably stacked in each container against the floor and side walls thereof to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only from the top, a substantially impervious protecting means lining said bin and protecting the insulation to prevent the entrance into the insulation of moisture or carbon dioxide gas, each of said containers being free of the car structure whereby said container and impervious protecting means will be' substantially undisturbed by distortions of the car structure, and sliding side doors arranged above said containers.

9. A railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, a plurality of independent gas tight containers substantially filling the lower portion of the car below said doors, said containers being supported by the car and independent of the car structure, insulation removably stacked in each container against the floor and side walls/to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only. from the top, bodily removable covers sealing said bins, and angularly arranged side doors positioned above said containers.

10. A railway or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a substantially imperforate lower portion, high level side opening doors above the lower portion, a plurality of independent gas tight containers substantially filling the lower portion of the car below said doors, insulation removably stacked in each container against the floor and side walls thereof to form a heavily insulated bin accessible only for the top, and a substantially impervious protecting means lining said bin and protecting the insulation to prevent the entrance of moisture or carbon dioxide gas into the insulation, said impervious protecting means being formed in part by a metallic load distributing pan and in part by flexible material permitting vertical movements of the pan.

11. In a railway car or similar vehicle for the transport of solid carbon dioxide having a lower imperforate bottom portion, a plurality of independent gas tight compartments supported by and freely arranged in said lower imperforate bottom portion, slabs of insulating material stacked on the bottom and against the walls of said compartments, and a plurality of side doors positioned above said containers.

WILLIAM F. DIETRICHSON. 

